Human beings are fragile, and their lives are often threatened by pain, disease and disability. Therefore, human survival often depends on others. However, throughout the history of western moral philosophy, people's vulnerability and dependence have not been paid enough attention. The primary moral actors are often portrayed as rational, healthy and undisturbed, while the disabled are regarded as others. In the original work Phoenix Library: Dependent Rational Animals, Alasdair MacIntyre made an in-depth discussion on human fragility and dependence from the ontological level, pointing out that the fragility of life and dependence on survival make human beings prosper only in the state of virtue, which is the truth of human existence.
MacIntyre is a famous contemporary ethicist. Phoenix Library: Relying on Rational Animals is a revision and development of his previous thoughts, which marks a major turning point.
McIntyre's exposition is indeed a field that has been neglected by academic circles for a long time. The emergence of Phoenix Library: Relying on rational animals can fill the gap in this respect.
People's vulnerability and dependence is not only an academic problem, but also a living state that everyone may face, which has important philosophical and practical significance.